Fans reacted with anguish and disbelief out of the blue death of K-pop star Moonbin at the age of 25.
Band member Astro was found dead by his manager in his Seoul apartment on Wednesday night. His death renews concerns about the immense stress K-pop stars face and recalls other high-profile music deaths in recent years.
Police said Moonbin appeared to have taken his own life, but an autopsy would determine the exact cause of death. Moonbin “unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky,” his music label Fantiago said on Twitter.
Online footage showed fans placing flowers and notes on street monuments in South Korea and other parts of the world, including the United States, Chile, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Some even hung up turquoise and silver balloons, colors that really stood out during the singer’s last performance in Thailand.
His death unleashed a wave of grief on social media throughout Thursday. “Rest in peace Moonbin. I hope the stars and the moon treat you well. I hope they give you all the comfort and love,” one person wrote on Twitter.
“Moonbin your smile will light up the night,” wrote another.
With a career spanning her entire life, Moonbin was one of a particular group of K-pop stars. He entered showbiz as an actor and child model in the 2000s. He made his acting debut in 2009, when he starred in the popular Korean drama series Boys Over Flowers at the age of 11.
At 18 he joined Astro.
Although his international fame was not on the level of BTS or Blackpink, he is very popular in the country, Rob Schwartz, Asia correspondent for Billboard magazine, told the BBC.
He added that K-pop idols are under intense pressure from fans on social media to make them look and sound perfect, while record producers are demanding that they produce hit after hit.
“It’s crazy how they have these guys under the microscope,” he said. “Certainly, stars in the West can more or less keep a secret who they’re dating. In the K-pop world, it’s impossible to keep a secret. Every time they lift a foot, thousands of lines are written about it.”
He also noted that Moonbin went on hiatus in 2019 and 2020, citing his health. “K-pop artists don’t really have a life beyond being a pop star. They start training at an early age. They don’t go to school or make regular friends. It is very difficult for them to see life outside the K.-Pop world”, She said.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.
